Cops: Man 'freaked out,' attacked Milwaukee mayor

MILWAUKEE -- A criminal complaint says a 20-year-old Milwaukee man has admitted he "freaked out" when he attacked the city's mayor.

Authorities charged Anthony J. Peters on Thursday with first-degree reckless injury and theft and two misdemeanors. The charges carry a maximum sentence of 36 years behind bars.

According to the complaint, Peters says he was arguing with his 1-year-old daughter's grandmother Saturday near the Wisconsin State Fair. Prosecutors say Mayor Tom Barrett responded to the woman's shouts by trying to call 911.

The complaint says Peters snatched Barrett's phone, threatened to shoot him and the two exchanged punches before Peters beat him with a metal bar.